Page 78 of Breached

“It’s okay. They’re fine. They all made it.” I pushed Nicole’s face out of my mind. I was still beyond pissed at what happened. It had been way too close.

“Good.” He cursed when he shifted.

I slipped off my rucksack and bent down in front of him. His face was sweaty and pale. “Hey,” I tapped him on the cheek to gain his attention, “I know you hurt like hell, but I need you to stay alert. I’m going to get you into those bushes over there, so you’re camouflaged. Stay there until I can get someone here for you. Do you copy?”

He blinked a few times and then nodded. “Copy. I’m fine, damn it.” Ty was tough, which was why he was the team leader of Dark Water, but pain was pain, and it could take you under.

“Every time you feel like you’re going to pass out,” I shook his shoulder, “think of one of those guys getting their hands on Ivy.” His eyes narrowed and darkened, and I knew I had him. “Stay awake for her.” I flipped down his night vision goggles and activated his beacon distress signal. I put his weapon on his lap, and he grabbed it, then I set a grenade next to him.

As I stood, I patted his shoulder, flipped down my NODs, and saw the forest light up. “You good?” He nodded. “Stay alive. I’ll have someone here soon.”

I left him and headed toward the ridge to get a better look at the east side. All the night training Cole had put us through as we wore our night optical devices, or NODs as we called them, made times like these worth it, and I could confidently scale any one of these mountains blindfolded in any case.

I thought about having my guys send Guardian to help get Ty out but could tell by the comments I was hearing through my coms he was assisting our guys on the west side. The little guy had our backs, and it gave me the assurance I needed that we stood a good chance in this fight. It was a powerful tool and one they wouldn’t see coming.

“Fox One to Raven One.” I bent down with my back against a tree. I had a clear view of what was in front of me.

“Go, Fox One,” Cole answered.

“I activated Dark Water One’s distress.”

“Roger that,” Cole answered.

“I was in contact with our mark. We made the right call back there. We are still on track for P-one.”

“Copy.” Cole’s voice suddenly went soft, and I knew he must be close to someone. “Heading back toward the east side of the house.”

“Copy.” I stepped away from the tree and closed my eyes to listen to the sounds around me, then my ears tuned in to my radio.

“Delta Six to Raven One, I have eyes on Dark Water Two, and it’s not looking good. On the ridge facing four o’clock. He’s got company approaching his three. If I fire, I will out my location.” Shit! I realized Mike had located Moore, and he needed backup.

I reached for my radio, and then pain went through me as I took a blow to the head. My feet were kicked out from beneath me, and I hit the ground hard. I blinked to clear the black spots as I reached up and wrapped my arms around the person’s knee and squeezed, bringing them down with a yelp. My NODs were ripped from my head and tossed somewhere, so I was left completely in the dark, disoriented, and desperate as I waited for my eyes to readjust.

Whack! I got hit in the jaw then took another in the cheek. The pain fueled me, and I pretended to stagger to give myself another few seconds. It led my attacker to think he was gaining the advantage on me when, really, I was buying time for my vision to return.

When he came at me again, I was ready, and I kicked him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him, and as he flew backward, it gave me enough time to clear my vision and gain my footing.

He got up, and that was when I grabbed my flashlight and stuck it in his face, blinding him. “Armondo?” His name slipped past my lips before I had a chance to stop it, and I realized I spoke as Eric.

His face snapped back in confusion, then, like a lightbulb, it hit him like a brick wall.

“Eric Noah?” He looked me up and down and aimed the beam of his flashlight on me, taking in my army fatigues and making the connection that I had been a Blackstone member all this time. “I fucking knew it. I knew you were one of them!” he screamed.

Why isn’t he with Bruno?

“Well,” I shrugged, knowing Moore was in trouble and I didn’t have time to deal with why he was here, “it was the perfect play.” His nose scrunched up, and I could see the anger boiling inside him. “If it makes you feel any better, you were both unbelievably stupid for never seeing all the times I gave Blackstone information on your whereabouts. But we don’t need to go tit-for-tat right now.”

“Ahhh!” He lunged at me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I pushed him back. We were precariously close to the edge of a cliff, and as he flew at me again, I used his own momentum to slam his body into the side of a huge rock then spun him around and over the edge. I looked down and saw his body had landed on an outcrop of rock only a few feet below me. I climbed down to be sure he was done, and he suddenly reached for my leg. I raised my rifle and slammed it into his head then stood over him, waiting to see if he was going to move again. Blood pooled out from his skull, and I knew he was finished.

As I stood over Armondo, I heard a vibration and bent down to pat his pockets and felt a cell phone. The caller ID read Bruno.

Fuck. Had he questioned my loyalty and decided to send in Armondo?

“Raven Two to Raven One, I have both Dark Water One and Two on route back to the house.” I let out a sigh of relief as Mark’s words found me. I was happy Moore and Ty were both safe. I contemplated what to do next. I studied the phone in my hand and read the message that had just been sent. I studied the few texts above that one and began to text back using the same style as if I were Armondo.

Armondo: Just saw Eric, we are clear to keep moving forward. Blackstone has retreated to the house.

Bruno: Good. Keep me updated.